Festival organisers last night announced on their website that, due to a lack of funding, this year’s event would be cancelled.

Last year, thousands of people flocked to enjoy the food, music, theatre and dance on offer.

In a statement, organisers said: “Hope Street Feast relies on enormous goodwill and input of effort and resources from many individuals and organisations, and a small but essential amount of funding support. Whilst the goodwill remains, in 2012 most of the essential funding became unavailable to us, and remains unavailable in 2013.

"Although we had a great 2012 Hope Street Feast we do not have a sustainable basis for the 2013 event without compromising the safety and quality of the event, and have therefore decided that it would be irresponsible to proceed this year.

"The voluntary board will instead use its efforts in 2013 to determine how future Feasts will be sustained.We share the disappointment we know this will cause, and thank all of the people and organisations who have attended, participated in, and helped organise and support Hope Street Feast until now.

"We share the disappointment we know this will cause, and thank all of the people and organisations who have attended, participated in, and helped organise and support Hope Street Feast until now."